Ohio State won't have a pair of forwards on Thursday evening.
Kyle Young (ankle) and Alonzo Gaffney (illness) will miss the Buckeyes' game against Nebraska, a source confirmed to Eleven Warriors. The news was first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
In their absence, Ohio State will have only eight healthy, eligible players in its lineup.
- Guards: CJ Walker, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr.
- Forwards: Justin Ahrens, Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson, E.J. Liddell, Ibrahima Diallo.
Though Chris Holtmann will likely ride a three-guard lineup featuring Walker, Muhammad and Washington for extended minutes, it'll be incumbent upon Liddell to effectively fill in in the frontcourt. He'll be the team's top power forward, though Andre Wesson could also see minutes at the position.
Young, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday's win against Maryland, does not yet have a timetable for his return, Holtmann said on Wednesday. The starting forward averages over seven points per game and is the team's second-leading rebounder, averaging 5.8 per game.
"He's had really, really hard, bad luck," Holtmann said on Sunday. "I just feel terrible for him."
In two games this season without Young available to play, the Buckeyes went 0-2, losing to Wisconsin and Maryland after he got his appendix removed following his team's loss to West Virginia on Dec. 29.
Ohio State-Nebraska tips off at 9 p.m. on Thursday night. It'll be shown on ESPN2.
